


Pets of Sugar Rush - The Prankster's Bat!

by DreamerAwaken, SparkSparta



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Also selective mutism Gloyd AU, And the cutest is a bat, Bats are the greatest and you won't change my mind, Because he never talks so I thought about exploring that, Created by me and SparkSparta!, Gen, In which some of the racers have pets, Pets of Sugar Rush AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22154569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerAwaken/pseuds/DreamerAwaken, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkSparta/pseuds/SparkSparta
Summary: What seems like a boring afternoon takes an interesting turn when Gloyd, in search of a little excitement, learns that some of the racers had adopted a pet from the local Pet's Fair settled at the square.He thinks: Why not? He could do with a little partner in crime for his pranks!What he doesn't know however, it's just how strongly attached he would become to the little creature he finds inside an old cage.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Pets of Sugar Rush - The Prankster's Bat!

Well, to put it simply, today had officially become the most boring day of all for a certain pumpkin-themed racer.

Gloyd walked through a chocolate-powdered field with no destiny in mind as he crossed Vanilla Valley, a little quiet area outside of the racetrack. His hands were stuffed inside of his pockets as he let his mind roam; he was feeling pretty gloomy lately and it showed- he hadn't been able to pull a good prank in the last few days, which was odd for someone who was programmed to do that in the first place.

It's been a little over a year since the King Candy fiasco, and while everything was good and dandy...well, he just didn't feel the same after all that. It was kind of scary how one outsider could cause so much damage, and how easily everyone else was manipulated to just accept it.

...Yeah, he had more than enough reasons to feel like a rotten caramel apple.

"Aghh! This sucks!" He suddenly hissed to himself, frustrated that he just couldn't find a way to keep himself distracted. Gloyd kicked a small gumdrop, sending it flying into the sugary oblivion.

What came next, however, was unexpected.

**BARK!**

**HISS!**

"Snowanna!" Someone screamed from far away. "Keep that mutt away from my cat!"

Gloyd's head perked up. Was that Rancis? It couldn't have been anyone else, not even the girls screeched that loud. He would usually ignore the blonde racer's fuss, but those sounds attracted his attention.

Did the racers have _pets?_

The prankster followed the noises to the top of a small hill and looked down, his eyes widening at the scene before him. Rancis, Snowanna, Crumbelina, Vanellope, and Swizzle were all gathered with candy-themed animals!

...And chasing two of them.

"Disco!" Snowanna called after what seemed like a snowcone poodle dog that was chasing a fluffy blonde cat; unmistakably Rancis' pet, seeing said racer hot on their trails.

"You! Leave Lord Nuttingham Peterson Fluggerbutter III alone!" He screamed at the dog, who seemed to finally cease his chase and trotted back up to his owner while Rancis caught up with his cat and picked it up, both seeming relieved.

Gloyd was so impressed, he's never seen racers with pets before! Where did they even get them from...?

He could just ask...but it wasn't easy for him. For the longest time, probably since the game was plugged in, Gloyd had avoided talking to many of the racers in the game. All the others did was just trash-talk and compete, at least, for the most part, so he's never been comfortable enough to start a conversation with them.

Well, almost everyone. Swizzle was somewhat easier to approach. The lollipop-themed racer was always pretending to be 'cool' and being laid-back just worked for Gloyd.

The first time he ever talked to anyone was to Swizzle and boy, did Malarkey get the shock of his life.

Swizzle was now the only one who's ever heard Gloyd talk and he also knew why the prankster just didn't feel like talking to others, but he respected that and Gloyd still felt very grateful for it to this day. They still pretended that Gloyd was mute, just because keeping the secret was a little thrill for the two of them.

And he was lucky! His best friend was there with his pet, he could just ask him and avoid any awkwardness.

Gloyd whistled loudly before he raced down the hill and towards the other racers. All the others raised their heads at the sudden sound, and Swizzle smiled when he noticed who it was.

"Hey, dude!" He said once Gloyd got to his side and bro-fisted him, while his pet macaw was perched on his shoulder and looking curiously at the new arrival.

Gloyd was also checking out the colorful bird, then he looked at Vanellope's white rabbit, Rancis' golden cat, Snowanna's dog, and Crumbelina's ferret.

Using sign-language, which most of the racers didn't know, save for Swizzle, Minty, and Adorabeezle, he asked: 'What's all this?'

"Hey, Pumpkinhead," Vanellope smirked at him while caressing her pet rabbit, who playfully kicked her hand in return. "Just chilling with our pets."

...Well, it seemed Vanellope knew it, too.

Crumbelina nuzzled her ferret. "Aren't they great? We just got them from the Pets Fair."

'Pets Fair?' Gloyd's eyes went wide with curiosity as he watched Rancis fixing his cat's bow tie that got loose with the chase. 'Is that new here?'

"Yeah, it opened a while ago. They have all sorts of cool pets, that's where I got mine!" Swizzle said as he signaled his macaw. The parrot puffed out its chest proudly, earning a smile from Gloyd. "I was gonna tell ya, but the girls insisted we meet up here and let them play."

'You guys are lucky, I’ve never had a pet before.' The pumpkin-themed racer signed.

"Ya never had a pet?" Vanellope seemed curious. "I thought ya lived on a farm, don't cha have animals in there?"

Gloyd felt a little uneasy to have to explain Vanellope something about his life. He didn't hold anything against her, but it just made him feel awkward all the same.

Swizzle, however, noticed and turned to Vanellope. "He lives on a pumpkin farm, President." He said with a loop-sided smile. "Unless you talk about the birds trying to steal the seeds, then no, he doesn't own any animals."

Gloyd internally thanked him.

"Not even a black cat?" Snowanna asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you did, with your Halloween theme." That was something a little easier to answer.

'There's a stray black cat at our farm, but she's wild and doesn't let us pet her. My family still leaves food for her, though.'

He tried not to snicker at the blank faces Snowanna, Rancis and Crumbelina gave him, but Swizzle beat him to it by chuckling.

"He says there's one at his farm but she doesn't like people." He explained.

Rancis shrugged. "Well, all the pets at the fair are more open to people for what I've heard. Mine isn’t from there, of course. Lord Nuttingham has a long, purebred lineage in our family."

The posh cat just looked at Gloyd with indifference, and yep, Gloyd could tell he didn't like it one bit.

"Why don't cha get a pet, Pumpkinhead?" Vanellope suddenly asked with a grin. "The Pets Fair is near here. And ya can join us with our pets later if ya wanna."

Gloyd seemed to consider it. A pet just for him. A new companion. Maybe he could teach it some tricks... or even better, he could teach it to play pranks on others!

A bright grin stretched across his face and he nodded, before turning to look at Swizzle. 'Hey man, wanna come with me? Your pet looks like it could use some air!'

"Sure, bro! Ty-Dye loves to show off his stunts while flying!" He grinned as Ty-Dye screeched out loud in approval. Swizzle stood up and got next to Gloyd, turning to the group. "I'll go with him to the Pets Fair, see ya dudes later!"

Crumbelina waved at them while holding her ferret safe. "Good luck."

"You’ll need it, the place was packed with people. Last time I went there was to get Disco a new ball toy." Snowanna smirked lightly. “Took me over an hour!”

The two boys nodded and left towards their new destination, and Gloyd couldn't help but feel the excitement running through his code.

Once they made it a safe distance away, Swizzle turned to look at Gloyd. "You know, Vanellope is pretty friendly, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable around her."

"I dunno, man..." Gloyd sighed, feeling more at ease now that it was just the two of them. Enough for him to talk. "It's just... after what's happened and all..."

His friend nodded beside him. "Yeah, I know. I'm just saying- she's alright. She even gave you a nickname." Swizzle smirked, causing Gloyd to huff.

"Pumpkinhead..." He said with a soft groan. "Not clever at all..."

The lollipop-themed racer laughed and pat Gloyd's back. "Welp, sorry man! But once she's got a nickname on ya, she won't let go of it."

"Just peachy."

After a while of walking and catching up, and watching Swizzle's macaw do all kinds of stunts in the air, the two racers finally reached the fair. 

And it was bursting with life!

Balloons of all colors and shapes were decorating every sweet stand there, each showing off their pets in large and decorated crates: rabbits, cats, and dogs were in most of the stands, but there were also more types of animals waiting to be adopted.

Gloyd saw how many candy people entered and then left with a new pet in their arms, giggling and bouncing along the way as they passed next to the two avatars.

"Cool right?" Swizzle grinned at his friend's expression. "Man, I remember being so excited when I first got Ty-Dye. I hope you get to feel the same!" Ty-Dye nodded next to his owner.

Gloyd turned to his friend, beaming with excitement! "Can't ya tell, Swizz? I already am!"

Without wasting another second, Gloyd took off into the fair, trying to take in as much detail as possible while looking for the right pet.

He wanted something that resembled Halloween, but it would still be able to play around with. Rats? No, too small. A spider? Waaay too small and many racers are scared of them. Snakes? Same as before. A black cat? Nah. Rancis already had a cat, plus the last thing he needed was to have the cat over his farm attacking his pet.

Something else will have to do! He just didn't know what at the moment.

Swizzle laughed and caught up with his friend, also looking for a pet that would suit the prankster's needs.

* * *

Easier said than done. Between looking at different stands, watching pets do tricks in small stages, and just petting a few for fun, an hour had passed without any results.

Not only that, but there were so many people and noises going on that the pumpkin-themed racer had grown dense. He had decided that keeping up a conversation with his best friend was making him a little anxious.

Gloyd kept trudging along, his chances of owning a pet growing thinner and thinner in each step. Picking out a pet was tougher than he thought, how did the others do it?

He glanced over at Swizzle, eyeing his best bro's macaw.

'Say, Swizz... what made you choose Ty-Dye?' He signed. 'Did he stand out to you, or did you just... feel something?'

Swizzle looked at Gloyd and then at his pet with a proud grin. "Geez... How can I tell ya? The moment I saw Ty-Dye, I just had the feeling he belonged to me, and it seemed I was right." Ty-Dye nuzzled his owner with his beak.

So he did feel something after all. Gloyd wondered if he would as well. He wanted a pet, but nothing was coming to him.

But then, something caught the macaw' attention, and he squawked to alert the boys.

"What is it, dude?" Swizzle asked his pet before he took off towards a certain direction. Glancing at each other before sprinting after the bird, the boys didn't know what was up until they made their way outside the fair.

And when the noises from the fair got quieter, another made its way.

It sounded like a high pitched, but neither could recognize what it was right away. Usually, sounds with higher pitches made Gloyd squirm, but this was an odd case; rather than make him flinch away, it was bringing him closer.

"Swizzle…!" Gloyd trailed off, quickening his pace as he tried to locate the source of the sounds, leaving Swizzle in the dust.

"Hey! Wait for me, man!" Swizzle ran after him.

Gloyd turned around a big gumdrop rock and he found it. An old-looking gold cage with a small, gray figure inside.

A bat. It was the source of the noises, which he could now recognize as... sobbing.

The little bat was crying, but why?

The pumpkin-themed racer cautiously approached the cage, just then noticing the sign attached to it that said **'Free Bat'**.

"Someone just... dropped it here?" Swizzle questioned, looking at the distance between the cage and the fair- no one would have been able to find the cage unless their senses were as sharp as Ty-Dye's.

Well, it explained a lot. How long has it been left here?

"...Hey..." Gloyd tapped the cage carefully, suddenly wanting to see the bat up-close since it was covering itself with its wings. "Hey, buddy?"

The bat hiccuped and hid further into its wings, their small frame shook violently with their sobbing, showing to be deeply scared of the boys.

Swizzle cringed when he got a good look at the small animal. "Dude... look at how thin it is..."

"I know. That doesn't look good, Swizz..." Gloyd thought about what to do for a second, before he dug into his pocket, pulling out a few candy corn pieces he always had with himself. He gently tapped the cage again. "Hey, little guy. You seem hungry. How about a snack?"

The pumpkin-themed racer gently held up a piece between his fingers and inserted the candy corn through the bars of the old cage, but didn't move his hand away. Something told him he shouldn't.

The small bat finally lifted its sight and watched the offered food with golden, teary eyes. It looked up at Gloyd, seeming unsure of what to do at first, but then the bat warily walked closer to the boy's hand.

With small, nervous movements, the bat touched the candy corn with its claws to bring it closer and sniff it... and then licked it; its tongue was long and pink and Gloyd felt the way it tickled his skin.

Swizzle and his pet watched them intriguingly in the meantime, worried about the outcome. But once the bat had a taste of the treat, it started to nibble it straight from Gloyd's fingers. They both immediately seemed relieved.

"Hey, it likes candy corn!" The lollipop-themed racer exclaimed. Gloyd's face lightened up as well. Swizzle was right! The bat was gobbling down the candy in seconds.

Quickly digging through his pockets, Gloyd pulled out more candy corn pieces and placed them in the cage's feeder. "That should be enough to fill you up, bud."

Licking the racer's fingers clean of candy, the bat gently chirped at him, before climbing up to its feeder and started to ravish the rest of the food while making little chirps of delight.

The prankster smiled at the bat sadly. "Man, you must have been in here for a while..."

"You know what? I'm sure someone picked it and left it here to die." Swizzle said with an angry frown. "Besides, this is the first bat we've seen in the entire fair."

"But why? Bats aren’t bad animals..." Gloyd seemed angry too, he might not have pets but he loved animals, and he's known about bats before- sometimes they entered the farm's barn but they weren't a hassle to deal with. Quite the contrary, they helped eat mosquitoes and flies, which Gloyd couldn't stand because of the noise they made.

Swizzle sat down in front of the cage next to Gloyd, sighing. "Bro, people think black cats are bad luck and no one adopts them. Bats got a bad rep because of vampires and rabies and stuff."

"Dumb stuff like that, huh?" Gloyd huffed in annoyance, deciding to watch the small creature eat the last of its food.

The bat glanced back at him while licking its lips, it's wide golden eyes more bright and happy, and then it squeaked at Gloyd.

That was all it took.

"I'm keeping them." He suddenly said. "I just can't leave it here where no one will ever find it."

Swizzle glanced at his friend with a lazy grin. "I had the feeling you'd say that."

Both turned back to the bat, who was watching both boys with curiosity. Gloyd smiled as he gently lifted the old cage into his arms and watched the small bat look up at him with, what he dared to name, hopeful eyes. "Squeak...?"

"Let's ditch this place and go home. Sound good, lil' guy?" He asked, and Gloyd was surprised to see the bat nod with a joyful expression.

"Squeak...!"

* * *

"I know there's a vet at the fair where you can get your pets cleaned up." Swizzle told his best friend as they walked out with the cage, watching the small bat hanging from a pocky stick they found so it could be more comfortable.

Gloyd nodded at him, feeling a little nervous to be back at the fair- now without his hands, he couldn't use sign language to talk to Swizzle, so he would have to talk over the noise. "Sounds good... maybe they can tell me if its a boy or a girl, I have to think about a name for them too..."

"Chill," Swizzle told him with an easy-going smile, calming Gloyd down a little. "You don't have to do it all at once, bro, just take your time and let things happen, yanno?"

The lollipop-themed racer noticed his friend was on edge, and like always, he acted. "Let's go there quick so you can drop the cage- or maybe..." He stopped and looked at the bat, who had its wings wrapped around themselves and hiding their whole body from view. "Maybe you can just carry him like I carry Ty-Dye?"

Gloyd blinked, could they even do that? What if the little bat flew off? On second thought, could it even fly? It was too tired to do it, seeing how it was now asleep inside the cage.

Both boys peered closely at the cage.

"I think it's asleep... don't wanna bother them." Gloyd whispered at the other racer who hummed in response.

Only, the little bat was not sleeping, because it chose that right second to open its wings in a snap with a loud squeak!

Both boys were startled and almost jumped back as they stared in shock at the small animal, while Ty-Dye squawked angrily for losing his footing on Swizzle's shoulder, his feathers looking a little ruffled up.

"Did the lil' bat give you the spooks, dude?" Swizzle asked his macaw teasingly once the shock wore off, who puffed up in annoyance. "Squawk!!"

"Sque-e-e-ak!" The bat replied in what sounded akin to laughter.

Gloyd laughed out of surprise, it just played with them! The little bat had a sense of humor. "Hey, they're a prankster like me!"

"Oh, brother..." Swizzle chuckled. "Yeah, I think you picked the right pet, dude."

Sharing a quick laugh, they kept walking until they arrived at the small veterinary and walked in. There wasn't a lot of people there, which instantly eased Gloyd up.

Walking over to the counter, Gloyd put the cage down carefully over the desk and faced the candy person in there, a green gummy bear, before making a few quick signals. 'Hi, can I have my pet checked?'

"S-sorry, dearie, I don't...." She replied with a shy smile. "Um, are you here to get a check-up for your little pet...?"

Gloyd smiled in return and nodded... sometimes he felt a little bad to put people in these awkward situations, but he just couldn't help it. He had a lot of troubles in the past forcing himself to just talk to anyone he didn't know or trust and he's been told insistently that wasn't the best way to treat his case.

It got him frustrated and angry in the past, to know he just couldn't act like the rest... but, he learned to accept it was the way he was. Having people like Swizzle around, though, certainly made it easier.

"Alright! We'll have them go in right away and you can come along if you wish, hon." She said with a smile, before turning to Swizzle. "Are you here for a check-up too?"

The boy shook his head. "Nah, we got it earlier, but I'm with him." He signaled Gloyd.

"In that case, you both can go in~" The gummy bear said before picking her phone to make a call. "...Dr. Cracker? We have someone asking for a check-up~."

Moments later, a monkey-shaped cookie cracker person walked out and judging by their uniform, it was clear that they were the vet. "Please, come on in." He said.

Both boys walked into the infirmary with their pets, and Gloyd once more set the cage down, on a bed this time. Dr. Cracker closed the door and walked up to them. "Hello, boys. I assume this little one is my patient?" He signaled the cage. "Do they have a name?"

Gloyd nodded and made a few signals. 'I haven't picked one, yet.'

"That is alright, it won't be an issue." The cookie said with a calm smile. "Can you get them out of the cage for me?"

Nodding again, the pumpkin-themed racer opened the door, and saw how the little bat was looking around in curious wonder. He chuckled softly and very carefully poked the bat's feet with his fingertips, hoping it would latch on them instead of the pocky stick.

As if reading his thoughts, the bat chirped softly as it moved to grab Gloyd's finger and hung from there instead. It was when Gloyd noticed the size of his pet- it was really small, like, the size of his hand. And if you put that on a scale, that meant the bat was very small.

"Hmmm... so, you've adopted a baby bat, it seems." The vet said as the racer carefully took the little animal out of the cage. "That is unusual, I think you're the first to bring one of their kind into my office."

Swizzle turned to look at the bat in question. "We found the cage thanks to my macaw, he heard the lil' guy screeching. The cage was outside the grounds of the fair, though."

Dr. Cracker sighed softly. "Ah, now that's a story I'm familiar with. Happened a few more times with other 'exotic' pets. People pick them for adoption, thinking they are amazing and more interesting than your average dog or cat, but once they realize it's a lot of work to keep taking care of them..." He took out a notepad and started to write a few things as he expertly studied the bat. "They just drop the pets off."

"That's stupid. How can they not realize it's much more complicated than that?" The lollipop-themed racer asked, angrily. "People should adopt pets only after knowing that they're fully capable of taking care of them, like a living being! Not some rare item in a collection!"

Gloyd frowned too, agreeing with Swizzle. The biggest problem with exotic pets was that they were released in habitats they often didn't belong in, and thus following their instincts they'll try to hunt food and ruin an entire food chain, or could start reproducing and make matters worse for animals and plants alike.

It was so frustrating how selfish and stupid some people could be.

"It's our biggest issue here, and that's why most pets got banned from being shown at the fair. Your little bat here, though..." The vet inspected them closely. "They’re a local species, so there's a chance the stand it came from wasn't disbanded. How long has it been in the cage?"

'No idea, we just found it and I feed it candy corn. It ate like it was starving.' Gloyd signed.

"What about water?" The cookie asked and Gloyd shook his head, to which the vet grabbed a small dropper, filled it with water, and offered it to Gloyd.

The pumpkin-themed racer rubbed the tip of the dropper against the bat's mouth, and the small animal squeaked as it tasted a drop of water, eagerly licking the object to drink some more.

"You said you fed it candy corn, therefore it is not as young as I might've thought... but its size concerns me, it might be signs of malnutrition, illness, or even a malformation," The vet missed the way Gloyd's eyes widened in worry. "I will be sure once we are done with the check-up."

Swizzle gently pat Gloyd's shoulder to calm him down, he knew it's been barely an hour but he knew his friend was attached to the little bat, and hearing those possibilities about its health was a low blow.

With a shaky sigh, Gloyd nodded and the check-up carried on.

* * *

They both walked out a few moments later, both letting out a huge sigh of relief.

For starters, Gloyd's bat was a male. A male gray, candy-eating bat that was barely four weeks old.

And while his small size had them worried... it was nothing severe. He was healthy despite being neglected for who knows how long. The vet said the little bat was probably going to grow normally now that he was under someone's care.

Gloyd was glad to know it was under his.

One thing he was asked to do? Keep his bat safely indoors until he was a month old or more, and that he learned how to fly as well.

He had yet to see how to work with the last task.

"Everything alright, dears?" The gummy bear asked, a little worried.

Swizzle offered a nod with a grin. "Yup, don't worry, we were kinda on edge but he's fine."

"Thank the code for that." She replied with a gentle smile. "Well, come to the counter so you can retrieve everything you might need for your pet's care, doctor’s orders~."

Curious, Gloyd walked back to the desk and found several items- a brand new cage that was slightly bigger, a water bottle for rodents, a bag of small mixed candies and a blanket. He also noticed there was a brand new journal and tilted his head in curiosity.

"We always give out items to help with the maintenance of every pet we get in our establishment. The journal, however, is given to the owners." She explained with a smile. "You can do whatever you want with it, but I recommend you use it to keep score of what your pet does through their daily life. It is a great way to learn about your pet's personality traits!"

"I kinda use mines to count the stunts Ty-Dye makes in a day." Swizzle said with a soft shrug to not disturb his macaw. "I know the girls use it more as a journal for their pets- Crumbelina turned hers into a photo album, even."

Gloyd hummed, he guessed he could give it a shot.

But first, he needed to sort everything out if he was bringing the little guy over his place!

Gloyd set the new cage up with the water bottle, which he filled by the water cooler, and food. He also put the blanket at the bottom in case his pet made a mess.

Once that was done, he carefully took the small bat into his hand and moved him to his new cage. The bat chirped and became active as he started to sniff the new space, only to squeak delightfully at the scent of food and going straight to it.

Well, that was easy. His pet behaved pretty well if he dared to admit it.

Gloyd smiled as he saw the bat stuffing his face. Man, either he was hungry or he dug the candy a lot. Either way, it was good to see him eat.

The pumpkin-themed racer chuckled before saving the bag of food and the journal inside his hat, knowing there was space for it to fit.

Kinda what you expect from a hat that had infinite storage inside of it.

Gloyd turned to Swizzle and nodded, ready to go. His best friend gave him a thumbs up and they both turned to look at the gummy bear receptionist. "Thanks for everything! We’re gonna head back, now." The lollipop-themed racer said.

"Have a safe trip! And be good to your new pets~!" She said as she waved them goodbye.

Gloyd grabbed the cage and watched his pet bat with a warm expression.

He was definitely going to be so much better to his pet than the last person who ditched him.

And that a promise he was going to keep.

* * *

Gloyd was on his way back to his family's farm, excitement bubbling at his core. He had already thanked Swizzle for helping him out today before he eagerly got back into his kart to drive his new pet to his house.

...He needed to pick a name for him.

Humming softly to himself, Gloyd watched as the colorful environment of the town was slowly replaced by the familiar sights of green hills and crop fields. This was home to him, where things went at a slightly slower pace and much, much quieter.

It wasn't a long drive until he reached the pumpkin fields his family owned. Gloyd followed the dirt track that would take him home with a happier expression, unable to wait and see his family's reaction to his new pet.

Was he worried? Not at all. He knew his family loved animals and the idea of owning a few had always been brought to the table.

And... well, he was sorry to say this but they'll have to accept it- he was not going to return the little bat, it needed him more than ever and he was ready to let his parents know that if they refused.

...But, again, he wasn't worried at all.

Finally parking his kart inside the small cottage he helped build with his father, Gloyd turned off the engine and turned to look at his pet with a smile.

"Well, here we are, buddy." He started. "This is gonna be your new home! Well, inside the house, that is."

"Eek?" The bat replied, wiggling his ears at Gloyd in wonder.

Gloyd chuckled. "Man, I can't wait from Mom and Dad to see you! Don't worry, I'm sure they'll like you a lot."

His pet chirped softly in response, and after hopping out of his kart, the pumpkin-themed racer took his pet's cage carefully and carried it with him to the entrance of his house, his nose catching a delicious scent that made his mouth water. "Oh, Mom's making pumpkin pie!"

"Squeak!" The bat answered, also smelling the air and twitching his ears in delight.

"Her pies are the best in town; I'll share some of mine with you." He promised his pet as he walked up the short ladder and stood right outside the door, grabbed the hanging chocolate gold knocker, and hit it against the door a couple of times.

"Mom! Dad! It's me, Gloyd!"

In a mere second, the door was swung open and Lady Pumpkin smiled at her son. "Welcome back, Pumpkin Patch~!" She greeted him, full of enthusiasm.

Lady Pumpkin was a bouncy and playful lady, her tan skin and bring green eyes, along with her unwavering smile, made her look much younger than she was. Her dark brown hair was tied in two low, short pigtails and adorned with small green sprinkles. She wore a long-sleeved dress that was green at the top and resembled a sparkly pumpkin at the bottom, striped green socks and shoes, and a pumpkin hat on top of her head.

She looked at the cage her son was holding, just noticing it. "Hm? What's that, dearie?"

Gloyd beamed up at his mom as he walked in. "Let me show you and Dad! Is he back from the fields?" He asked.

"I am here, my son." His father spoke from nearby, coming out from the kitchen after he was done checking the pies in the oven.

Lourd Gourd was a rather funny man. He was shorter than his wife and just slightly taller than their son. His skin was fair and his hair a dull shade of green. His eyes were brown and his cheeks tainted orange. He wore a big orange bow tie over a black shirt with orange accents and a trunk hose that resembled a pumpkin. He also wore striped socks, but his were black and orange, black shoes, and a pumpkin top hat.

You could tell he got the looks from his dad and his love for mischief from his mom.

"Where were thee, my son?" He asked, in his unique way of speech- Lord Gourd was an avid Shakespearean fan and tended to talk in rhymes occasionally. "What has thee brought upon us?"

Gloyd put the cage over a small table and moved aside to let his parents see clearly. The little bat flapped his wings eagerly at the adults.

"I adopted a pet bat today." He said.

Both adults blinked as they leaned down, crouched in Lady Pumpkin's case, to see the pet up close.

"Thou hast me surprised, my child, and you say it's thine?" His father inquired, watching the bat with growing interest.

Gloyd nodded. "I found him today with Swizzle, he was abandoned and he's just a baby, Pops." For a moment, he got worried about his dad not being OK with his pet.

The sigh he let out further proved his worries. "I see, but-"

"We're totally keeping him~!" Lady Pumpkin beamed as she interrupted her husband, who blinked at her in surprise.

"Are thee serious, my lady, about keeping the bat, maybe?" Lord Gourd pondered.

She nodded at her husband's confusion, eyes bright with happiness. "Think about it, love. A bat is perfect for our son! We can train him to work as a service pet, as we've talked about!"

Gloyd tilted his head. "Train him? How...?"

"Pumpkin patch, bats have amazing ears, and you've always gotten jumpy at certain sounds." She explained to him, gently, but still high in spirits. "This lil' munchkin can help alert you when he senses the bad sounds nearby, or to drag you away from them if you become overwhelmed."

Lord Gourd hummed, but this time he seemed to agree. “How right thee are, my love! And I say, the bat fits our son like a glove!”

Gloyd’s face brightened up. Although he knew his parents would like his new pet, he still felt the nervousness of the situation fade away. “So… he stays?”

“He stays~!” Lady Pumpkin said merrily, while Lord Gourd nodded beside her with a smile of his own.

Gloyd’s already bright face brightened up even more. He turned to look at his pet but saw that the little bat had wrapped his wings around himself again. He lifted the cage up and his parents leaned in to take a closer look. “Oh, I think the little dear is tired?”

No, he wasn’t.

Just like before, the little bat had opened his wings in a quick flap and squeaked loudly at the adults!

Lord Gourd and Lady Pumpkin both couldn’t help but jump and let out quick cries of surprise. Gloyd grinned down at the bat, unable to fight down the light laugh escaping him. “He did the same thing to me and Swizzle too! I think he really likes pranks. Or maybe just surprises!”

"Sque-e-e-ak!" The small animal ‘laughed’, flapping his wings in delight.

Lady Pumpkin was soon giggling alongside the bat, laughing at herself for being spooked by one of the oldest tricks in the book. “What a lil’ spookster!”

Lord Gourd laughed as well but calmed down faster than his wife. He leaned towards the cage to look at the bat a bit more closely. “Will thee help my son with his pranks, and help him fulfill his wants?” 

“Meek!” The bat replied… either he understood the question, or just answered by being spoken to.

Lady Pumpkin giggled again before letting Gloyd walk inside the kitchen. “Come on, Pumpkin Patch! The pie is almost done, and I’m sure you’re hungry!”  
  
“I am! Thanks, Mom!” Gloyd smiled eagerly as he placed the cage onto the table. He hoped that the bat could see everything, or at least, most of the kitchen from his spot. 

Lord Gourd followed after them, glancing at the bat with a soft grin. “What is thine name?”

“Uh…” Gloyd glanced at Lord Gourd sheepishly. “I… I haven’t thought about his name yet, Dad.”  
  
“Oh? Why not, Pumpkin Patch?” Lady Pumpkin turned off the timer on the oven before it could hit zero. 

Gloyd shrugged, a little awkward. “I just… can’t find one that fits. I’ve been calling him ‘buddy’, but that’s not a name I want to keep.”

“It is a good placeholder, for now, son.” Lord Gourd smiled softly and patted his son’s head, mussing up his side-swept bangs slightly. “Names are special and must be given plenty o’ thought.”

Lady Pumpkin put on her oven mittens. “Or, we could help you pick one~.” She smiled at her child. “How about 'Boo'? That little trick of his sure can surprise anyone!”

Gloyd turned to the cage and looked at his bat. The bat simply blinked back at Gloyd, showing no signs of enjoying the name. “Eep?”

“I… don’t think he likes it, Mom,” Gloyd muttered sheepishly with a grin. 

Lord Gourd hummed. “And Jack? As in, Jack O’Lantern?”

Again, just a simple blink. “...Squeak?”

“I dunno if he’ll like pumpkins that much.” Gloyd shrugged. “Which would be weird considering our theme?”

He took off his pumpkin hat and put it on the table, trying to fix his hair that his father messed up before. The little bat looked at Gloyd before focusing on his pumpkin hat. 

Making a sound akin to a curious purr, he carefully moved off his perch and hung from one of the cage bars, eyes still locked onto his owner’s pumpkin hat. Lord Gourd smiled a little pointed it out to Gloyd. “Maybe that is not so, son.” 

“We can’t call him Pumpkin, that name is already in use.” Lady Pumpkin playfully jabbed as she took the pie from the over, taking it out from the tin to let it cool. “But if he likes pumpkins, I’ll consider it~.”

“He shall be called Pumpkin Bat if thee decides so.” Lord Gourd flashed his wife a playful smile. “But the only Pumpkin that truly fits me is thee, my dear Lady~.”

Upon hearing his mother giggling in response, Gloyd had to avert his eyes from his parents getting mushy. He focused on his pet, “You’ll get used to it… or not.” He couldn’t help but stick his tongue out in mild disgust as he listened to his parents laugh all mushy-like.

“Squeak!” The bat replied, before hanging upside down again. When he wrapped his wings around his body, Gloyd knew what it was waiting for.

With a grin, the boy leaned in closer and, as just as he expected, saw how the bat opened his wings with a loud chirp.

Gloyd laughed a little and reached his finger in between the cage bars, and gave the bat a little poke in the stomach. “You sure like to dish out spooks, huh?”

The bat blinked, and after a beat, he flapped his wings in sudden glee. “Squeak!”

Gloyd couldn’t help but laugh and poke him again. “Ya like being poked, huh? Well, that can be arranged, bud!” He started to poke the bat all over him, not forcefully, but rather light and playfully. However, the bat didn’t react the same as before.

“Mrrrp.” He chirped, and kind of moved away from the touch- wait, so he didn’t like it that much?

“Huh.” Gloyd tilted his head to the side in curiosity. “Guess not, huh? What made you so happy before then?”

His finger that was poking the bat carefully started to scratch and scritch against his ears. 

“Perhaps it was something you said that he liked, Pumpkin Patch!” Lady Pumpkin suggested as she prepared the whipped cream for her pie. “You know, some animals like certain sounds we pronounce. Like the kitty outside! She likes it when your dad whistles~.”

“Indeed.” Lord Gourd nodded with a slight blush on his face from embarrassment. “She reacts to me as thine son reacts to candy corn.”

“Dad!”

Laughing softly, Lady Pumpkin turned to her son. “I’m just saying, maybe the lil’ guy liked a sound you made while you were talking to him?”

“What, like… Poked? Pranks?” Gloyd scratched his head as he tried to guess while looking back at his mom. “Dish? Surprises? Spooks?” 

“Squeak!!”

Surprised by the sudden sound his pet made, he turned towards the bat with slightly wide eyes- was that it?

“...Spook?” Gloyd tried again.

“Meep!!”

That was it!

“Spook!” He repeated, now smiling widely.  
  
“Squeak~!” The little bat flapped his wings eagerly. “Squeak, squeak!!”

The adults smiled widely too. 

“He seems to like thine name, son. Look at him, bright as the sun!” Lord Gourd smiled upon seeing how excited the bat got by the word.

Lady Pumpkin also seemed very happy. “And I think that doubles as a great name! Don’tcha think, Pumpkin Patch~?”

“Yeah! I think it suits him!” Gloyd grinned at his new bat through his cage. “Especially when he keeps giving us that surprise jumpscare with his wings!”

‘Spook’ only tilted his head at his owner, but the bat seemed quite content himself.

Giggling with delight, Lady Pumpkin finally served the pie to her family. “Well, I say we sit to eat and celebrate having Spook join us~!”

Gloyd and Lord Gourd nodded at Lady Pumpkin and sat down at the table. Lady Pumpkin served them both a slice of pie, and Gloyd immediately cut a bit off to eat. But, he stopped when he saw Spook eyeing him curiously.

Gloyd smiled, “Wanna try a piece?”

“Squeak!” Spook replied, stretching his wing through the cage bars to paw the air as if reaching for the food.  
  
Lady Pumpkin turned to her kid. “Is he a candy animal, Pumpkin Patch? Because I think he shouldn’t eat it if he isn’t...” She seemed a little concerned. “Especially since he’s a lil baby! He is a baby, right? He is so itty bitty I can’t tell!”

Spook was now pressed against the cage bars, whining softly as he continued to reach for the pie bit- he was tiny but insistent!

Gloyd laughed at how eager Spook was. He took the bit of pie off his fork and held it between Spook so he could grab it with his claws. “It’s alright, Mom, the vet told me he _is_ a candy bat.”

The small bat picked the piece of pie between his even tinier claws and brought it up to him, and after sniffing it closely, he began to eagerly lick the pie bit.

“Meep~!” He squeaked delightfully after he got a taste, Spook liked it! Soon he was gobbling down the piece to eagerly reach out for Gloyd again. “Eek!!”

Gloyd laughed and handed the piece to Spook through the cage, making sure his bat had a firm grip on it before moving his hand away. “Even candy bats can’t resist your pies, Mom-!”

**_“Mlem, mlem, mlem!”_ **

Gloyd snorted at the sounds. “Pfff! Spook!”

He wasn’t the only one, Lady Pumpkin positively squealed at the tiny sounds made by the little bat he eagerly ate his food, while his father was a little more discreet by chuckling at the display.

“Adorable, he is.” Lord Gourd admitted. Spook looked up at the family curiously, his mouth still nibbling the pie piece until he completely stuffed his face. Spook chirped as best as he could while tilting his head at them curiously, still eating the pie stuffed in his mouth. 

Gloyd shook his head fondly.

Spook would bring quite a lot of amusement to his life, for sure.

* * *


End file.
